Letters from the June 4, 2005, issue of Science News
By Science News
Stem winder
“Full Stem Ahead” (SN: 4/2/05, p. 218) showed several reasons why stem cell research is a good thing: Stem cells from embryos might cure cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and many other diseases. But the article should have included the fact that stem cells may help with transplanting organs. Stem cells may be used to “grow” organs for patients in need.
Heidi L. Clark
Natrona Heights, Pa.
Race results
“Code of Many Colors: Can researchers see race in the genome?” (SN: 4/9/05, p. 232) gives a simplistic and generally inaccurate account of the relationship between Fst [also called Wright’s F statistic] and race/subspecies/species. Fst reflects the relative amount of total genetic variation between populations. While there is bound to be a correlation between Fst and species status, Fst is not normally used to define species. An Fst can be lower between populations of North American grey wolves and coyotes, two different species, than between many populations of the same species, including humans, depending on which genetic loci are considered.